Nokia CEO hints at possible Windows 8 tablet

While discussing his intentions to expand Nokia’s presence in the United States, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop recently made comments that suggest his company could have a Windows 8 tablet in the pipeline. “There’s a new tablet opportunity coming,” Elop told Bloomberg in a recent interview. “We see the opportunity. Unquestionably, that will change the dynamics [of the market].” Elop described Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system as a “supercharged” version of its Windows Phone operating system, implying a hint of interest in using the OS on a tablet. The two operating systems share a user interface called “Metro UI.” Nokia recently announced its first two Windows Phone devices, the Lumia 710 and Lumia 800, during its Nokia World conference. Elop confirmed the existence of a Nokia tablet in April, although early reports suggested it might exclude Microsoft from its tablet plans. Microsoft has already demoed a number of devices running Windows 8 and the first are expected to hit the market toward the end of 2012.